Ok.. So I had to Rescue an Oscar from my LFS...

[nfm-malice]

I just bought a 115g Aquarium that is in the process of being set-up (And not even remotely ready for Live Fish...) but I went down to my LFS looking for cat food.

In the "Fish Department" (and I use that phrase LOOSELY) they had an Oscar that was about 7" long in a tank that was MAYBE 10"/5 Gallons...

Now.. My Daughter has a 20 Gallon Tank that she has a 3" Oscar in Right now... So I decided to buy the Oscar to throw it in there for now... Until I get my main tank acclimated...


Now.. Aside from being in a Tank where he couldnt move around (at all).. He has some serious issues...

I am sure I will lose him before the big tank gets set-up... He has Hole in the Head disease (I cant think of the proper name at the moment) and his bottom lip/jaw is massivly deformed... It kinda droops off at one side, and doesnt close completely... He also has some lines running deep down the side of his body...

Im not sure if there is anything I can do for him, and I feel better that even if I do lose him, he will at least have had a little bit better of a life in a MUCH bigger tank (though still not big enough at the moment)...

I have move my daughters Plecostamus and Oscar to a smaller tank in the meantime (to prevent any possible transmission of disease)...

Anyone have any ideas?

**edit**

I will try and get a picture of him to post tonight so you can see...

 

[AquaNut]

Awww good job!! I will say firstly that I'm not knowledgable about oscars; I just rescued my first one a couple of weeks ago from life in an unheated 20 gallon tank. It sounds like yours is in worse shape than mine is, though.

The first thing I'd do is start treating him with some hefty doses of metronidazole. It works WONDERS for hole in the head. I had to treat an angel with it once and was amazed at how effective it was. I didn't notice where you're located, but I think the metro I bought was sold in capsules as 'General Cure'... sorry I don't remember who makes it and I"m at work right now so I can't check. Also, Tetra makes a medicated food which is high in metro... dunno whether or not you could get the oscar to eat any of it, though.

Also, I've been doing daily water changes for my oscar, keeping his water lightly salted, I added daily doses of melafix until his external wounds/slime coat looked better, and I cranked up the temp in his tank to about 83 degrees.

Good luck with the oscar. Please let us know how he's doing!!

 

[smb]

Top-Notch advice AquaNut!

his bottom lip/jaw is massivly deformed... It kinda droops off at one side, and doesnt close completely... He also has some lines running deep down the side of his body...

This is the part that scares me. This is very serious.

Do you have any way of knowing how long it's been like this? Is he eating?

This is what really gets to me...Newbies getting an Oscar for their first fish and putting it in the 10g tank they pickup on their way to pay for the Oscar!!!

I would take AquaNuts advice and hopefully that will help. Let us know if there is any improvement at all as it doesn't look good for the poor guy.

 

[nfm-malice]

This is what really gets to me...Newbies getting an Oscar for their first fish and putting it in the 10g tank they pickup on their way to pay for the Oscar!!!

Im not sure what they were thinking in putting him in such a tiny tank. Im thinking it might have been some sort of Return that he didnt have room for? (Maybe Im giving him too much credit..)

When we first put him in my daughter's tank he wouldnt move.. Just kinda sat there in the corner (Perhaps from a long period of not being able to?).. But When I left for work this morning.. He was cruising around the tank doing laps... He seems VERY energetic.. which I see as a Good sign.

As far as his mouth deformity, Im not sure how long he has been like that. My wife saw him yesterday at the pet store and was heart-broken.. so she picked him up and brought him home... We tried some Cichlid pelets (It was all we had on hand) and he didnt seem to be interested in them... Hopefully he's just getting acclimated. Im a little leery of trying to dump feeders in there right now... So Im not sure...

I am stopping off tonight to buy a New Marineland Magnum 350 for my Big tank and 2 Small Sumps and some Aquarium Silicone for my HBH Trickle Filters (Seems the guy I bought them from put holes in the side to try and link the two.. or something.. and I need to seal them)

I am also talking to a Friend of mine to see if I can borrow a 40g tank or so to move him into.. to give him more room.

I'll also try and pick up something from the store tonight along the lines of what Aqua suggested.

You guys have been very helpful.. and I will keep you updated.

 

[smb]

Thats good to hear that he's more active. Definately a good sign.

I would stay away from feeders as you don't need anymore diseases added to the tank. Is that all he ate was feeders? If so, you might have a heck of a time weaning him off from them. He might not eat anything right nopw until he gets adjusted.

Try some frozen foods also, that might help and good luck and thank you for the update.

 

[AquaNut]

Yay! I'm glad to hear the oscar is swimming and active. That's more than I could say for my guy!! Took him DAYS to come out of the corner, and he still spends most of his time loitering in the corners.

I'm surprised Jeff didn't give you the same advice he gave me , which is try live worms!! If you live somewhere that you might have access to a shop that sells live bait, that's a really easy way to pick up some big juicy wrigglers, but if not, just find the nearest bit of dirt outdoors and dig in. Chester Bertuzzi (my rescue) was refusing to eat anything at all until I put a big ol' worm in there. CHOMP. Live food without the disease risks associated with the feeder fish.

 

[smb]

I'm surprised Jeff didn't give you the same advice he gave me , which is try live worms!!

I wasn't thinking and hurrying too fast. Good idea.